Hank is the son of Henry LeGrand Jr. and Catherine. He made his entrance into this world at Butler Memorial Hospital on December 9, 1949. They named him Henry J. LeGrand III, but he's better known as Hank. He has six sisters and two brothers.
Stories have always been a major part of his life growing-up. With so many siblings, there was never a shortage of storytelling.
Hank attended St. Mary's grade school in Herman, PA, then went on to the local high school. He enlisted in the military in 1969, and was Honorably discharged in 1971 from the United States Army's infantry division. He’s a Vietnam veteran and was awarded two Bronze Stars for combat, one of which has a 'V' for valor.
He received a diploma for a Master Course in Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Heating, has a Locksmith diploma and holds a State License for a Water Treatment Plant Operator. During business hours, you’ll find him at AK Steel's Butler works in the Environmental Dept.
On March 24, 1973, he married Mary Barbara Charles. The LeGrand's family has grown with their son, daughter-in-law and two beautiful grandchildren.
Hank's children’s novel, "Paddle Tail, is his first published book. He created the storyline for Paddle Tail while daydreaming about an old duck pond that he spent a lot of time at, when he was just a kid myself. There were no beavers living in the shallow, muddy pond, but that didn't stop his imagination… Paddle Tail is geared for young readers 6-11 years old.
Hank enjoys camping, inventing, drawing, and especially writing fiction stories for children and young adults. He started writing down his tales when he was 47 years old and feels a sense of accomplishment when his thoughts come take form on paper.
Paddle Tail's story takes place at a mystical beaver lake nestled high in the back country of Montana. It's a very peaceful place, and the community of beavers living there simply loved it.
The late fall air was steadily growing colder, which made the beavers at the village worry even more about one of their neighbors.
All the expectant female beavers have had their children in late spring, well, almost all! There was still one couple on the lake, George and Sara, still waiting patiently for their new baby to arrive. But Sara and George were also getting concerned, about their little one being born this late into the year, this close to Old Man Winter. Since the other beaver children were born at the end of spring, they were able to enjoy all the benefits of the lush green grass, along with the juicy, tender leaves, during those warm, lazy summer days.
George and Sara's little one would not be able to have such luxuries. Their baby would have to survive on the hard tree branches and dried weeds that George had gathered from around the lake. George could see that his wife had a very worried look on her face, so he tried his best to assure her that everything was going to be all right.
"Are you sure, George?" said Sara.
"I’m certain of it, dear, everything's going to be just fine. After all, I was born this time of year, and look how good I turned out," he laughed.
"I'm just not so sure," replied Sara. "Something must be wrong. Sara was still not convinced that everything was going to be okay; in fact, neither was George.
They both knew deep down inside that Mother Nature was starting to work against them with every passing minute, and they also knew that if their baby wasn't born soon, before the really cold weather hit, it would probably not survive.
The beaver families were very close at the lake, and always enjoyed each other's company. Their village had several meeting places where they would gather to sing, dance, laugh, and play. One thing that the young beavers were taught, was to always respect the elders in the community, and that it was the duty of all beavers to watch out for each other.
Sara and George were extremely excited; this was going to be their first child. Up in the mountains the weather had already turned for the worse, and the beavers were aware that it wouldn't be long until the frigid weather worked its way down to their valley.
The early morning sun exposed a heavy dusting of snow around the lake, making the air even that much colder. George and Sara were taking no chances with their baby; George had gathered plenty of heavy logs for the fireplace, to make sure that their home would be at least warm throughout the cold winter months. He also brought in extra tree branches for food, in hopes that there would still be enough nourishment left in their bark for their baby. After a long day of stockpiling their food and firewood, George and Sara settled down for a good winter's sleep--or at least that's what they thought. But their unborn baby had other plans.
It must have been three or so in the morning when the little beaver made his entrance into the world. George couldn't wait for daylight to come to the lake; he immediately dove down into their water-filled tunnel, heading straight for the lake's surface, to notify the villagers of the new arrival.
Sara couldn't have been prouder of her son, and was looking forward to showing him off to the other female beavers. She could hear George slapping his tail on the water's surface, sending the message across the lake. The airways soon filled with the sound of beaver tails, communicating back and forth.
In no time several of the female beavers, along with their children, had made their way in through Sara and George's entrance tunnel, surrounding Sara and her new baby. Sara had the little guy wrapped in a blanket, comforting him in her rocking chair.
"May we see him now, Sara?" said the beavers.
"Certainly," she replied, as she lowered the blanket from her baby's face.
Oohs and aahs suddenly filled the room.
"He's beautiful, Sara," remarked the beavers. "He's simply beautiful!"
The beavers from the village were all bubbling with excitement, and their children started to sing and dance around the room. The children were even more excited, for now they would have another friend to play with.
The beavers talked and talked about Sara's new son, and about how truly- handsome he was.
But as Sara continued, removing the blanket from her baby, she suddenly heard a deathly silence fall across the room, and then heard the oohs and aahs turn into gasps and whispers. Disbelief and shock now covered the faces of the beavers from the community. It was as if they had seen a ghost!
"What is it?" said Sara. "What's the matter?"
"His tail, Sara!" replied the beavers. "What’s wrong with his tail?"
All the little beaver had for a tail was a short stump sticking out in the back. The children suddenly started to laugh and snicker.
"Look, he has no tail! Ha, ha, ha!"
"That’s enough of that!" scolded Sara, as she stood up. "His tail will grow, just give him a little time!"
"But Sara, what if it doesn't grow?" said one of the female beavers. "How will he be able to send the alarm across the lake when danger is near?"
"It will be okay," answered Sara, "Everything will be all right."
"WE CERTAINLY HOPE SO!" snapped the beavers, as they left George and Sara's home. The youngsters were still making sly remarks, and calling out nasty things to the baby beaver, before they, too, dove into the tunnel to leave.
CONTINUED IN THE BOOK
Paddle Tail is a delightful story of a young beaver who not only learns to accept that he is different from other beavers, but who also learns to adapt and be proud of the difference. This in not a 'heavy' moral-filled tome, but a fun tale about the beaver with no tail. LeGrand has written a story that will appeal to children with humor, but will also teach them the importance of 'self. The timely issue of bullying is also covered, and it's nice to see the main character come out as the better 'person' at the end.
This is a whimsical tale that any young child will enjoy reading.
Leslie Cholowsky
Publisher-Books Unbound E-Publishing Co.
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Dear Mr. LeGrand:
Thank you for your message.
We were quite impressed with the quality of your writing and the originality of your concept.
Susan Donahue-Agent
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Dear Hank,
Thank you very much for sending me a copy of Paddle Tail. I really enjoyed
reading your story and thought it would really appeal to children
Alice Pearcy-Publisher
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Henry, hi -
Good luck on finding a home for your book Paddle Tail. Sounds like a
classic.
Charlene Baker- Publisher
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Dear Author,
Thank you for letting us review your query.
After carefully considering the works, we find it has definite potential.
BAWN- Publisher-Agent
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Hi Hank,
I must say, you do have quite a knack for children's literature. It is not just a hobby; you have a gift for this. I see that you enjoy telling a good story, and you do it with very good explanations. I am actually learning about beavers from you! It's a wonderful story, and you tell it well. I think kids would really enjoy this.
Harold Davis-Editor/Torturer BCCC
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